Raptors, Heat hope to end losing ways in Eastern tilt

The Miami Heat have lost two straight games and seven of their past eight games.

The Toronto Raptors have also lost two straight games in addition to dropping six of their past eight games.

On Tuesday night, both teams will try to earn a win as Toronto visits Miami.

The Heat, who lost a 132-125 road game at the New York Knicks on Sunday night, entered this week ranked fifth in the NBA in scoring (120.2). But Miami is bottom-10 in the league in points allowed (117.8).

Miami on Sunday allowed Jalen Brunson to score 47 points. Miami also allowed the Knicks to shoot 55.3% from the floor and 52.6% on 3-pointers (20-for-38), none of which pleased Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

"We're going to get there," Spoelstra said. "But we have to have a collective will to win.

"Our guys care, but it's not enough. There has to be another level. This league is savage. It's survival of the toughest."

Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic also wants more from his squad, especially after shooting just 37.2% from the floor and 27.8% on 3-pointers in Sunday's 96-81 loss at the Brooklyn Nets.

"We need to be shooting the ball better, at better percentages," he said, "and that's what we're working toward."

One of Toronto's problems is that RJ Barrett is out due to a knee injury. He is second on the team in scoring (19.4), but he has missed 13 of Toronto's 30 games.

In addition, starting center Jakob Poeltl was limited to under seven minutes Sunday due to a back injury.

Toronto's other three top players are Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley.

Ingram is averaging a team-high 22.0 points to go with 5.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

Quickley is averaging 15.8 points with a team-high 6.4 assists.

Barnes was held to just six points by Brooklyn, but he is an extremely versatile player at 6-foot-8 who leads Toronto in rebounds (8.0), blocks (1.7) and steals (1.4) while ranking third in scoring (19.1) and third in assists (5.1).

Toronto, which hasn't made the playoffs since 2022, needs more volume from its three most recent first-round picks: Gradey Dick in 2023; Ja'Kobe Walter (2024); and Collin Murray-Boyles (2025).

Dick is averaging 6.2 points while shooting 32.2% on 3-pointers; Walter is averaging 5.4 points while shooting 39% on 3-pointers; and Murray-Boyles is averaging 6.8 points while shooting 44.8% from deep.

Meanwhile, the Heat were without three players in Sunday's loss: Tyler Herro (toe injury), Nikola Jovic (elbow), and Pelle Larsson (ankle).

Herro is a huge loss as he was an All-Star last season. He is averaging 23.2 points and is trending toward his fifth straight season averaging more than 20 points per game.

Norman Powell leads Miami in scoring (24.0), and he's shooting 41.5% on 3-pointers.

Bam Adebayo is averaging 18.3 points and 9.4 rebounds.

But this is a deep Heat team even beyond those players. Emerging star Kel'el Ware is averaging 12.5 points while leading the team in 3-point percentage (48%), rebounds (10.7) and blocks (1.4).

Starting point guard Davion Mitchell leads the team in assists (7.7), and his backup, Dru Smith, tops the squad in steals (1.5). Small forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (15.7 points per game) has been one of the best reserves in the NBA this season.

--Field Level Media